The Dress Rehearsal
| "The Dress Rehearsal" | |
|---|---|
| Smash episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 11 |
| Directed by | Mimi Leder |
| Written by | Julia Brownell |
| Featured music |
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| Production code | 211 |
| Original air date | April 13, 2013 |
| Guest appearance(s) | |
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"The Dress Rehearal" is the twenty sixth episode of the American television series Smash. It was written by Julia Brownell and directed by Mimi Leder. The episode premiered on NBC on April 13, 2013, the eleventh episode of Season 2. As Tom and Julia race to ready Bombshell for previews, Tom's eagerness to prove himself may not be the best thing for the show. An on-stage mishap forces Ivy to make an important decision, while tension rises at Hit List as Karen becomes suspicious of Derek's motives towards her.
Tom Levitt (Christian Borle) has a nightmare of being unprepared and naked at the opening of Bombshell, then waking to find Ellis (Jaime Cepero) in bed with him. He then actually awakens, screaming, which brings Julia Houston (Debra Messing) who reminds him that it is the day of the invitation-only dress rehearsal for friends and family.
Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty) wakes up in bed with Derek Wills (Jack Davenport). She says she wants to keep things between them casual.
Jimmy Collins (Jeremy Jordan) has been up for several days writing new songs for the new material that Kyle Bishop (Andy Mientus) and Julia came up with for Hit List. Karen Cartwright (Katharine McPhee) is worried about him and questions if he took anything stronger than Red Bull and caffeine. He's worried that if he doesn't write new songs for the expanded Diva character, Derek will give some of Karen's songs to the character.
The Bombshell dress rehearsal has multiple technical mistakes. At the end of the "Our Little Secret" number, Simon (Julian Ovenden) as JFK accidentally removes Ivy's slip along with her dress, exposing Ivy's naked body. Producer Eileen Rand (Anjelica Huston) thinks maybe a little nudity will help Bombshell and Tom and Julia feel that it has significant artistic merit. Tom talks to Ivy about it. She's not fully against it but she asks for time to think about it. Eileen wants to cancel the next day's first preview because of all the technical problems, but Tom is afraid he'll be seen as an unfit director. Eileen agrees to let the preview go on as scheduled if Tom can fix all the problems by 3 pm. Ultimately, Tom is successful after Julia comes up with an idea to allow time to set up the prop plane on stage for Act II; the number "Dig Deep" starts in the audience and is performed in front of the stage instead of on it, so the intermission can end while the set is still being moved. During "Our Little Secret," Ivy keeps her slip on; Tom and Julia are disappointed. But in the next scene, where Marilyn objects to JFK leaving her immediately after their tryst, Ivy drops a bedsheet from her body, exposing herself to him when she asks him to stay. The choice is a success.
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